Boll-separator.



E. E. DICKERSON.

BOLL SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED wens. ms;

Patented June 6, 1916 3 SHEETS-SHEET L IN l/EN TOR EEDz'akersom WITNESS.

ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 0, WASHINGTONJJQ- E. E. DICKERSON.

BOLL SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Aucme. r915. I

Patented June 6, 1916.

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E. E. DICKERSON.

BOLL SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1.6. [915.

. Patented June 6; 1916.

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EUSTICE'E. DICKERSON, or FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

BoLL-sEPARATon.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd June 6, 1916,

Application filed August 16, 1915. Serial No. 45,644.

To'aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, Eus'rron E. DICKER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State 0f TeXas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boll-Separators, of which the following is'a specification.

My invention has relation to an improvement in boll separators of that type or class wherein the cotton bolls after being subjected to the action of abreaker or crusher are subjected to air suction to separate the cotton from the bolls and in such connection it relates broadly to means whereby after the boll is broken the cotton is removed from the hulls or bolls by suction prior to its passage through the cleaner and the gin.

So far as I am aware the usual procedure with bolly cotton is to break the boll, pass the broken boll through a cleaner to eliminate a portion of the internal and extraneous dirt, trash, and bolls and thereafter pass the cleaned cotton through ahuller gin wherein a picker roll mechanism serves to remove the coarse dirt and hulls from the cotton before the cotton enters the roll box of the gin. This procedure is both expensive and ineffectual. It'i's based upon an erroneous theory in that it contemplates the passage of hullyor bolly cotton through the cleaner which cleaner is primarily for the purpose of loosening the fiber to remove small particles of dirt inside as well ason the outside of the cotton.

My present invention contemplates the provision of a complete organism or ma chine designed to remove the bolls or hulls from thecotton prior to its entrance to the cleaner and it also contemplates an arrangement of means in such an organism whereby the machine may be introduced into the ordinary chain of operations and particularly into an arrangement of instrumentalities constituting a plant wherein the cotton in transit from the wagon or storage bin is conveyed first under suction and'thereafter under either suction or air pressure through said instrumentalities to the gins.

In the carrying out of my invention there prises a conveying mechanism arranged to receive the broken bolls discharged from the boll breaker, said conveyer being suitably arranged to not only conveythe cotton bolls away from the outlet of the boll breaker, but

the major portion of the cotton from the bolls at approximately the point of discharge from the boll breaker. In the construction and arrangement of said conveyer to permit of ready separation, by suction of the predominant requirements are that the Y conveyer shall perform its function as a means for supporting and conveying the bolls and shall also perform the additional function of a screen wherethrough the cotton staple may be withdrawn from the bolls and conveyed under suction to the cleaner.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understoodffrom the following description taken in connection with the 'accompanylng drawings forming part here of, in whic Figure 1, is a side elevational view partly sectioned of a boll breaker and a boll separator-embodying the main features of my invention. Fig. 2, is a top or plan view thereof, partly broken away, and Fig. 3, is

a cross-sectional View taken on line aa,

Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the inlet pipe for raw cotton from a wagon or suitable source of raw-cotton supply and 2 represents a boll breaker of any desired construction and arrangement. i

The boll breaker 2is supported upon a boxlike frame 3 and discharges the broken bolls directly thereto and within the same.

In the box 3 is arranged to travel a conveyer 4 of preferably endless construction. This conveyer 4 should form a means for 4 consists of a series of endless bands orchains, each consisting of triangular (in cross section) hollow links 8 connected at either end by pintles 9 which are supported on the horizontal portions of the travel of the conveyer by wheels 10. These wheels 10 serve as a means to separate adjacent chains from each other, the spaces 11 thus formed permitting of the passage of the cotton staple from the boll when the conveyer 4 is passing below the boll breaker 2 and in front of the chamber 5. At certain intervals certain of the links 8 carry the upright rubber strips 12 which serve as valves to close the boXlike frame 3 against entrance or escape of air while the conveyer is traveling in said box 8. V

The return portion of conveyer 4 also travels through a box-like frame 13 similar to but below frame 3. When the conveyer 4 travels through the lower frame 13 the wheels 10 ride upon the roof of the box 13 whereas when the conveyer travels through upper box 3 the wheels 10 ride on the floor of box3. V

The lower box 13 has an opening 14 in its base and this opening is screened by a series of rollers 15 transversely arranged across said opening. As the bolls (with some cotton still adhering thereto) pass with the conveyer 4 into lower box 13 they are conveyed by the flaps or strips 12 to and over these rollers 15. Below the rollers 15 is arranged a suction chamber 16 communicating with suction pipe or flue 6. As the bolls'pass or roll over rollers 15, the loose cotton is drawn or sucked into chamber 16, and passes from thence into pipe 6 and thereafter into cleaner or similar instrumentality notshown.

All the chains forming the conveyer 4 are preferably connected side by side by the pintles 9 and wheels 10, and at either end of boxes 8 and 13 is arranged a series of sprockets 1 each of which supports a chain. Each series of sprockets 17 is supported upon a shaft 18 and either of the shafts 18 maybe driven in any suitable manner from any desired source of power.

spaces 11 in the conveyer into the chamber 5 and pipe 6 when suction is applied to said pipe by fan 7.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. In a device of the character described, a boll breaker,'a conveyer arranged to receive the cotton and bolls discharged from said boll breaker, open spaces formed in the base of said conveyer to convert said conveyer into a screen, and suction means for withdrawing the cotton from said bolls through the said spaces of the conveyer.

2. A boll separator comprising a'traveling conveyer having a face arranged to receive and support the bolls and cotton and a perforated base constituting a screen, combined with a chamber arranged below and in communication with the screen base of the conveyer and means for creating suction in said chamber to thereby withdraw the cotton from the bolls through the screen base of the conveyer and into said chamber.

3. In a device of the character described, a box like frame having an opening, and an endless conveyer for the cotton, traversing the frame above said opening, said conveyer formed of a series of endless chains separated from each other to form intervening spaces traversing said opening in the frame, combined with means for creating suction in said opening below the intervening spaces in the conveyer.

4. In a device of the character described, a box like frame having an opening in its base, a means for creating suction through said opening, an endless conveyer traveling within said frame and over said opening, said conveyer comprising a series of endless chains arranged side by side and separated from each other by intervening spaces traversing the opening. v

5. In a device of the character described, a box like frame, having an opening in its base, a means for creating suction through said opening, an endless conveyer traveling within said frame and over said opening, said conveyer comprising a series of endless chains, each provided with links triangular in cross section, a series of pintles connecting the links of corresponding chains together, and a series of wheels on said pintles arranged to separate the chains by intervening spaces traversing the conveyer.

6. In a device of the character described. an endless conveyer comprising a series of endless chains separated from each other by intervening spaces traversing the conveyer, a box like frame traversed by the upper portion of said conveyer, a box like frame traversed by the return portion of said conveyer. and a means for creating suction below the base of @2 91; Mi like frame.

7. In a device of the character described, and a means for creating suction below the an endless conveyer comprising a series of base of each box like frame, and a series of endless chains separated from each other by flaps carried by said chains and serving as 10 intervening spaces traversing the conveyer, air valves Within the box like frame.

a box like frame traversed by the upper por- In testimony whereof I have signed my tion of said conveyer, a box like frame travname. ersed by the return portion of said conveyer, EUSTICE E. DICKERSON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

